And Hiram, king of Tyre, sent messengers to David and cedar trees, masons, and carpenters to build a house for him. And David knew that Yahweh had established him as king over Israel and that his kingdom was highly exalted for the sake of his people Israel. And David took more wives in Jerusalem, and David fathered more sons and daughters. Now these are the names of the children who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.

When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed as king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. But David heard and went out from before them. Now the Philistines came and carried out a raid in the Valley of Rephaim. Then David inquired of God, saying, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you put them into my hand?" And Yahweh said to him, "Go up. I will put them into your hand." And he went up to Baal-Perazim, and David struck them there. And David said, "God has burst out against my enemies by my hand like waters burst out." Therefore they will call the name of this place Baal-Perazim. And they abandoned their gods there. And David commanded, and they were burnt with fire. Then the Philistines carried out another raid in the valley. Then David inquired again of God. And God said to him, "You shall not go up after them. Go around from before them and come against them the opposite way of the balsam trees. And it shall be that when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then go out into battle, for God goes out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines." And David did as God commanded him, and they struck the camp of the Philistines from Gibeon to Gezer. And the fame of David went out through all the lands. And Yahweh put the fear of him upon all the nations.

And David built houses for himself in the city of David, and he established a place for the ark of God. And he pitched a tent for it. Then David ordered that none except the Levites should carry the ark of God, for Yahweh had chosen them to carry the ark of Yahweh and to serve him forever. And David gathered all Israel to Jerusalem to bring up the ark of Yahweh to its place that he had established for it. And David gathered the sons of Aaron and the Levites. Of the sons of Kohath: Uriel the chief and one hundred and twenty of his brothers. Of the sons of Merari: Asaiah the chief and two hundred and twenty of his brothers. Of the sons of Gershom: Joel the chief and one hundred and thirty of his brothers. Of the sons of Elizaphan: Shemaiah the chief and two hundred of his brothers. Of the sons of Hebron: Eliel the chief and eighty of his brothers. Of the sons of Uzziel: Amminadab the chief and one hundred and twelve of his brothers. Then David summoned Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. And he said to them, "You are the heads of the families for the Levites. Sanctify yourselves and your brothers and bring up the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel, to the place I have established for it. Because the first time you did not, and Yahweh our God burst out against us, for we did not care for it according to the law." Then the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel. And the sons of the Levites carried the ark of God according to what Moses commanded, according to the word of Yahweh, on their shoulders with the carrying poles upon them.

Then David ordered the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers with instruments of song, musical instruments, stringed instruments, and cymbals, raising their voices for joy. So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel, and from his brothers, Asaph the son of Berekiah, and from the sons of Merari, their brothers, Ethan the son of Kushaiah; and with them their brothers of the second rank, Zechariah the son, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-Edom and Jeiel. Now the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were to sound bronze cymbals; Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play on harps according to Alamoth; and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to play lyres, directing according to the Sheminith. And Kenaniah, chief of the Levites in singing, was to be an instructor in singing because he understood. And Berekiah and Elkanah were gatekeepers for the ark. And Shebaniah, Jehoshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Elizezer the priests sounded the trumpets before the ark of God. And Obed-Edom and Jehiah were gatekeepers for the ark.

And it happened that David and the elders of Israel and the commanders of thousands went to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh from the house of Obed-Edom with joy. And it happened that when God helped the Levites carrying the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. Now David was clothed with a robe of fine linen; so also all the Levites who were carrying the ark, the singers, and Kenaniah the chief of the singing. And David wore a linen ephod. And all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh with shouting, with the sound of a shofar, and with trumpets and cymbals, making loud music with musical instruments and stringed instruments.

And when the ark of the covenant of Yahweh came into the city of David, then Michal the daughter of Saul looked down from the window and saw the king, David, leaping and dancing. And she despised him in her heart.

And they brought the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it. And they offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before God. And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Yahweh. And he distributed to every man of Israel, both men and women, to each person a loaf of bread, a cake of dates, and a cake of raisins. Then he appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of Yahweh, to invoke, thank, and praise Yahweh the God of Israel. Asaph was chief, and his second was Zechariah; Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel were on harps and lyres. And Asaph played on the cymbals. And Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests blew on the trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God. Then on that day David first appointed to give thanks to Yahweh by the hand of Asaph and his brothers.

Then all the people said, "Amen!" and praised Yahweh.

So he left Asaph and his brothers there before the ark of the covenant of Yahweh to minister before the ark regularly as each day required, and he left Obed-Edom with his sixty-eight brothers. And Obed-Edom, the son of Jeduthun, and Hosah were gatekeepers. And he left Zadok the priest and his brothers the priests before the tabernacle of Yahweh at the high place which was at Gibeon to offer burnt offerings regularly to Yahweh on the altar of burnt offering, morning and evening, according to all that was written in the law of Yahweh that he commanded concerning Israel. And with them were Heman and Jeduthun and the remainder of those chosen, who were designated by name to give thanks to Yahweh, for his loyal love is everlasting. And Heman and Jeduthun with them had trumpets and cymbals for making music, along with instruments for the song of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were at the gate. Then all the people went each to his house, and David turned to bless his household.

And after five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and an attorney, a certain Tertullus, all of whom brought charges against Paul to the governor. And when he had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, "We have experienced much peace through you, and reforms are taking place in this nation through your foresight. Both in every way and everywhere we acknowledge this, most excellent Felix, with all gratitude. But so that I may not impose on you for longer, I implore you to hear us briefly with your customary graciousness. For we have found this man to be a public menace and one who causes riots among all the Jews throughout the Roman Empire and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes, who even attempted to desecrate the temple, and we arrested him. When you yourself examine him you will be able to find out from him about all these things of which we are accusing him." And the Jews also joined in the attack, asserting these things were so.

And when the governor gestured for him to speak, Paul replied, "Because I know you have been a judge over this nation for many years, I defend myself cheerfully with respect to the things concerning myself. You can ascertain that it has not been more than twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship. And neither did they find me arguing with anyone or making a crowd develop in the temple courts nor in the synagogues nor throughout the city. Nor can they prove the things to you concerning which they are now accusing me. But I do confess this to you, that according to the Way (which they call a sect), so I worship the God of our fathers, believing all things that are in accordance with the law and that are written in the prophets, having a hope in God which these men also themselves await: that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous. For this reason also I myself always do my best to have a clear conscience toward God and people. So after many years, I came to practice charitable giving and offerings to my people, in which they found me purified in the temple courts, not with a crowd or with a disturbance. But there are some Jews from Asia who ought to be present before you and bring charges against me, if they have anything against me, or these men themselves should say what crime they found when I stood before the Sanhedrin, other than concerning this one declaration that I shouted while standing there before them: ‘I am being judged before you today concerning the resurrection of the dead!’"

But Felix, because he understood the facts concerning the Way more accurately, put them off, saying, "When Lysias the military tribune comes down, I will decide your case." He ordered the centurion for him to be guarded and to have some freedom, and in no way to prevent any of his own people from serving him.

And after some days, when Felix arrived with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and listened to him concerning faith in Christ Jesus. And while he was discussing about righteousness and self control and the judgment that is to come, Felix became afraid and replied, "Go away for the present, and when I have an opportunity, I will summon you." At the same time he was also hoping that money would be given to him by Paul. For this reason also he sent for him as often as possible and talked with him. And when two years had passed, Felix received as successor Porcius Festus. And because he wanted to do a favor for the Jews, Felix left Paul behind as a prisoner.